Body-treatment machine



1. P. GARDNER.v BOD-Y TREATMENT MACHINE.

MYPLCATION FILED JUNE I9. 1916,.

Patented-Feb. 8, 1921.

v 4 SHEETS- *SHEET l.

1. P. GARDNER.

BODY TREATMENT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I9. 19H5.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

4 SHEETS-shin 2.

5. P. GARDNER.

BODY TREATMENT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED )UNE I9, 1916.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

J. P. GARDNER.

BODY TREATMENT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IurII: I9. wie.

1,367,544. l vPatented1IeIII.8,1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE..

JAMES P. GARDNER, OIF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BODY-TREATMENT MACHINE.

Application filed June 19, 1916.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES I). GARDNER, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and liseful Improvements in Body-Treatment Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

rIhis invention relates more particularly to a machine which is adapted to give a thorough and deep manipulation of the body or limbs of a person when the person is lying` down or in a substantially horizontal position. Y

Among the objectsv of this invention are to provide a machine ot this character which will be suiiiciently strong and powerful so as to give an efficient manipulation or massaging' action to the body; to provide such a machine in which the massaging elements are arranged in substantially horizontal positions and are supported iii a sui'iiciently flexible manner so that a plurality of such elements may engage with the body simultaneously, and a series ot such elements will conform to the outlines of the body or limbs; to provide a machine of this character which may be easily and conveniently manipulated lor giving treatments; to provide a machine of this character in which the pressure of the massaging elements against the body and the position of the elements with respeci; to the body may be readily adjusted; and in general, to provide such further advantages and improvements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view showing the main portion of the machine in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the central portion of theV machine; as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation;

Fig'. 5 is a sectional plan view showing the lower series of massaging elements; as indicated by the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the construction of one ot the massaging devices and Fig. 7 is a detail showing a modified form of massaging device.

The present embodiment of my invention,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921. Serial No. 104,420.

as shown in these drawings, comprises a frame 8 which supports the operative mecha nisin. This frame may be provided with table-like extensions 9 and 10, for supporting a portion of the weight of the person in the machine. The machine is preferably pro vided with upper and lower sets of massaging devices, which may be used either sepa 1ately or concurrently. The lower mas saging apparatus consists of horizontal shafts 11 and 12, mounted in bearings in themain frame and having sprockets 13 and 14 respectively mounted thereon. Two chains 15 pass over the pairs of sprockets 13 and 14 and carry the massaging devices. Such sprockets and chains, while forming a preferable construction, may represent other similar forms oi supports, such as pulleys and belts or the like. The chains 15 are provided with brackets 16 for supporting the massaging devices. A preferred iorm of construction oi such devices is shown in Fig. 6. lll rod 17 passes through the oppositely disposed brackets or bearings 16 and carries the massaging member proper. In the form shown, such massaging member comprises a central cylindrical portion'18 and cylindrical ends 19, which are rounded at their outer eX- tremities in the manner indicated. The portions 18 and 19 are preferably fixed lirmly on the rod 17, either by being forced thereon or cemented thereto, so that the rod will turn in the bearings 16. However. this invention also contemplates the use of different forms or arrangements of massage devices. For

instance, in the form shown, the rodl 17 may be driven or otherwise firmly fixed in the bracket 16, so that neither the rod nor the cylindrical members will turn.

The massaging device or element may also be made in a variety of forms. as for instance in themanner shown in Fig. 7, wherein the cylindrical member 2O is shown as being grooved, and as this member is. circular in cross section. it will give a curved engaging surface, and may be arranged so that it will be either rotatable or non-io tatable as desired. Such massage devices are preferably elongated and 'formed so as to present a curved massaging surface, which surface may be either straight or curved longitudinally, but is preferably made smooth so as to create little friction. Any suitable material may be utilized for making these massage devices, but I have :found wooden massage elements to be particularly satisfactory.

The shaft l2 is provided with a sprocket wheel 21 for drivingthe same. This wheel may be arranged in any suitable manner, so that it will either drive the shaft or rotate freely thereon, one form of such driving` arrangement being illustrated by the pin 22. The sprocket wheel 2i is driven by means of a chain 23, which in turn is driven by a sprocket 24 on a shaft 25, which in turn is driven by a worm gear 26, which engages with a worm 27 on the driving shaft 28 of a motor 29. While any suitable form of motor may be used, l prefer to use an electric motor, and the above described gearing` is utilized for the purpose of reducing` the speed, as the message devices only need to be driven approximately twenty to twenty-five feet per minute. T he motor may be of the reversible type, or reverse mechanism of any ordinary or preferred form (not shown)- may be utilized for reversing the driving mechanism, so that the massage devices may be driven in either direction or may be driven in an alternating or reciprocatingr manner.

The frame 8 is provided with upwardly and forwardly extending arms 30, which assist in supporting' the upper massaging mechanism. YTwo shafts 3l and 32 are supported in bearings in the frame, and are provided respectively with sprocket wheels 33 and 34. The sprocket wheels 33 are fixed on the shaft 3l, while the guide sprock ets 34 are loosely mounted on the shaft 32. The shaft 31 is also provided with a driving sprocket 35. which is engaged by the chain 23 and driven thereby. This sprocket may be arranged on the shaft 3l so that it may either run free or drive the shaft, such an arrangement beine* indicated bythe key or pin 36. The shaft 32 is provided with arms 37, which are secured thereto and carry a shaft 38 at their outer ends, for support ing guide sprockets 39. The shaft 32 is also provided with means 4for rotating it to swing the arms 37 and lock such arms in adjusted position. Such means may comprise a worm wheel 40, which is lined to the shaft and is engaged by a worm 41 on a stub shaft 42, which shaft may be turned by means of a hand wheel or crank 43.

Any suitable take-up or tightner device may be utilized for tightening the upper belts. Such a device may comprise arms 44, which are pivoted at their lower ends at the back of the machine, and are provided with a shaft 45 at their upper ends, which shaft supports sprocket wheels 46. Flexible memn bers such as chains or cables 47 extend from the arms 44 backwardly, and engage with drums 48 mounted on a shaft 49, having,` its bearings in rearwardly extendingr projections 50 on the main frame. The shaft 49 is also provided with a drum 51, having a chain or cable 52 wound around the same, and supporting a weight 53, the arrangement being such that the weight tends to turn the shaft 49 and keep the cables 47 sufficiently tight to hold the tension device in proper position.

The shaft 49 is also provided with means for manually increasing the tension. ri`his consists of a hand wheel 54 and ratchet wheel 55, which are secured to one end of the shaft. A pawl 56 is mounted on one ofv the projections 50, and is adapted to engage with the ratchet wheel to hold the wheel and shaft in adjusted position.

Two chains 57 pass around the pairs of sprocket wheels 33, 46.. 34 and 39 in the manner illustrated in Fins. l and 3. These chains carry massage devices 58, which are mounted thereon in the manner specified in the description of the lower massage devices.

Tffhen a treatment is to be given with the iachine, the pa-wl 56 is thrown out of engagement with the :a chet wheel 55, and the crank 43 is turned to swing the arms 37 up, so that the patient may readily enter the machine and assume a horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 2. rlhe crank 43 is then turned in the opposite direction to swing the arms 37 down, so as to bring' a plurality of the message devices into engagement with the body, in the manner indicated in Figs. l and 3. lt will be understood that the weieht 53 is preferably only sufficient to keep the chains 57 in position on the sprockets, regardless of the position of such chains. if additional pressure is desired, the hand wheel 54 is turned until the chains are tightened to lsive the additional pressure, and the pawl 56 is thrown into engagpesition to hold the shaft 49 in such adjusted. position. rihe motor 29 may be started either before. or after the patient is placed in the machine, but preferably after the parts have been adjusted. The patient or person taking the treatment preferably wears al gown or covering of heavy material, such as duck or the like, so that the massage or engaging devices preferably do not come into engagement with the skin. When the patient wears such a gown or covering, and the massage devices are rotatably arranged, they will pass over the same with practically no friction, and when such devices are made with curved engaging faces and made sufficiently smooth, they will pass freely over the covering but with more friction than when rotatably arranged, and the action is usually not as satisfactory as when rotatably arranged. The lower and upper chains 15 and 57 respectively are preferably driven in opposite directions; that is, so that the lower and upper massage members which are in engagement with the body, will be moving in the same direction, as will be readily seen from Fig. l. However, these may be driven in any desired manner, and both sets of massage devices used simultaneously, or either one or the other used se arately.

aving thus described my invention, which, however, I do not Wish to limit to the exact construction or arrangement herein shown and described, except as set forth in the following claims, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a massage machine, the combination of two series of oppositely disposed massage devices for engagement with the body of a person when the person is in horizontal position, flexible carriers for carrying the massage devices of each of said series, means for adjusting said carriers to bring a plurality of the massage devices of each series into engagement with the body, and means for actuating said carriers.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a pair of horizontally arranged belts, and a second pair of belts disposed above the first-named pair, a series of horizontally arranged massage devices carried by each pair of belts, one series being adapted to engage with the under side of a person when in horizontal position, and the other series being adapted to engage with the upper side of the person, means for driving said belts, and adjusting means i'or causing the devices of the opposite pairs to appreach and recede from each other.

3. In a massage machine, the combination of series of oppositely disposed horizontally arranged rollers, flexible yielding supports for said rollers, means for moving said supports to cause the rollers to act on the body of a person in horizontal position between the series of rollers, and means for adjusting said series of rollers relatively to each other in a vertical direction.

4. In a massage machine, the combination of two oppositely disposed pairs of belts arranged in vertical planes, horizontally arranged rollers carried by each pair of said belts, means for reciprocating each pair of belts in a substantially horizontal direction, and means for adjusting one pair of belts vertically.

5. In a massage machine, the combination of a. pair of endless belts arranged in vertical planes in parallel relation, to each other, a plurality of horizontally arranged elongated massage devices carried by said belts, means for adjusting said belts vertically to cause the massage devices to approach and recede from the body of a person in horizontal position, and means for tightening said belts to regulate the pressure of the devices against the body.

JAMES P. GARDNER. 

